Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Learning Gender in a Diverse Society Online Commentary
In addition to our classroom discussion, we are holding a blog discussion on the readings from chapter 3. Please post your commentaries here as "Comments" to this blog item. Remember: your commentary may either initiate a discussion thread or continue an existing one. Commentaries, whether initiating or continuing threads, must comport to all other assignment parameters. Due date: Wednesday, 2/10/10, at 5pm EST.
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When reading "The Social Construction of Gender" by Judith Lorber, I read the line that says "Adolescent boys and girls approach and avoid each other in an elaborately scripted and gendered mating dance" (pg 142). This is not only true of adolescents but I believe it carries into adulthood. The woman is supposed to be the more emotional one in the relationship, and the man is supposed to be more solomn. This made me think of an epsiode of "Malcom in the Middle" which I saw the other day. The situation is that the wife went out and bought a new, bigger bed for her and her husband. It was a king size. The show played on gender roles by making the dad have an uncharacteristic response to the bed purchase. Instead of seeing that they needed a new bed and the bigger bed was on sale, he acted like the "woman" in the relationship and read more into it, thinking that his wife was trying to distance herself from him. The show writers believed that people would find this storyline funny because the man is acting out of male character. The success of the "joke" is based in our gendered societal norms and I thought it was a good example of how we stereotype gender roles and relationships on a daily basis without a second thought.
ReplyDeleteLorber, Judith. "The Social Construction of Gender." Women's Voices, Feminist Visions. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 142-44. Print.
Jessica Romeo
ReplyDelete2/9/2010
In her article Rethinking Gender, Debra Rosenberg says, "Gender helps us organize the world into two boxes, his and hers, and gives us a way of quickly sizing up every person we see on the street." She then goes on to discuss that transgenders are essentially freeing themselves from that mold. It seems to me that transgenders are are not so much breaking away from those boxes as they are fitting themselves into the other one. Why do they need to get surgery so that their biological parts fit the identity that they feel they have? I feel as if that is just another way to reconstruct ourselves in order to fit into the same two boxes.
Rosenberg, Debra. "Rethinking Gender." Women's Voices, Feminist Visions Classic and Contemporary Readings. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 159. Print.
Although, I cannot personally relate to Nellie Wong’s poem, “When I Was Growing Up,” I feel great empathy for the mixed emotions this young woman and others like her deal with on a daily routine because of trying to meet American societies quota of what the true American girl should look and be like. The girl/woman described in this poem yearns to prove to herself and society as being white; “When I was growing up and went to high school, I discovered the rich white girls, a few yellow girls, their imported cotton dresses, their cashmere sweaters, their curly hair and I though that I too should have what these lucky girls had, when I was growing up, I hungered for American food, American styles, coded: white and even to me, a child born of Chinese parents, being Chinese was feeling foreign as limiting, was un-American.” This is something I feel that African Americans, Hispanics and Asians might struggle with; trying to fit into the mold that American society create and not what their background suggests, so that they don’t feel left out! It is sad to see girls and guys feel bad for not looking a certain way because they don’t fit into the traditional American ideal. Who says? I feel that the more individuals celebrate themselves; the more we can learn from each other and widen the gates of what it means and looks to be American!
ReplyDeleteWong, Nellie. “When I Was Growing Up.” Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 154-155. Print.
In her writing, The Social Construction of Gender, Judith Lorber talks about how culture usually defines the gender roles in society. She brings up the interesting point that “In countries that discourage gender discrimination, many major roles are still gendered (Lorber, 144).” Women still seem to be doing most of the housework and also mostly still do jobs that are typical female work. If we are discouraging gender discrimination and becoming more increasingly aware of the inequalities, why are the housework and jobs typically staying the same? Although more men are helping with the work at home, it is still mostly unequal even if both parents are working. Hopefully in the near future we can change society into discouraging gender discrimination and not being gendered.
ReplyDeleteLorber, Judith. “The Social Construction of Gender.” Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions Classic and Contemporary Readings. Ed. Susan Shaw and Janet Lee. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 142-145.
In their article, “Short Skirts and Breast Juts: Cheerleading, Eroticism, and Schools,” Pamela Bettis and Natalie Adams made a few excellent points. Taking into account my own experiences, I found a lot of their comments to be very true. I was on my high school’s Dance & Drill Team for four years; we were often classified as cheerleaders, as we often collaborated with the cheer team and wore similar, pleated uniforms. As Bettis and Adams discussed the mild sexuality of uniforms, I thought back to my junior year of high school, when I was given a size small skirt, which was far too tiny for my body (the last medium skirt was given to a girl who was slightly “more medium” than I was). I still wore this skirt to school on game days, and was never reprimanded for the severely inappropriate length. I also found it interesting that Bettis and Adams’ claim that, “Responsibility, good grades, and being nice to everyone were all mentioned as part of being a cheerleader, and certainly fit its good-girl image” (qtd. in Lee and Shaw 150). We had a minimum GPA which we were required to maintain; my coach asked for photocopies of every report card. Additionally, we were always required to keep our Facebook pages “clean,” and maintain a positive image throughout all aspects of our lives, from school to our social activities.
ReplyDeleteCheerleading is commonly perceived as an ultra-feminine, “sexy, but not sexual” activity; however, many people fail to notice the athleticism required by the activity. Dancing and cheering require hours of practice, as athletes build up strength, endurance, and exceptional flexibility. While the sport does attract a great deal of attention, particularly from males, it is not all about popularity. Cheerleading is just like any other sport in that injuries occur; in extreme cases, girls have ended up paralyzed or even dead as a result of stunting. I wish that Bettis and Adams had called more attention to the athletic demands of cheerleading.
Lee, Janet, and Susan M. Shaw. Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions. 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2009.
-Katie Duffy
Stephanie Phillips
ReplyDeleteAs early as pre-school, children are taught that there are only two sexes in the world: male and female, boy or girl. After reading Anne Fausto-Sterling’s essay “Two Sexes are Not Enough,” I began to realize how traumatizing this notion must be to either a hermaphrodite or transsexual child attempting to fit into a gender role, in which he or she feels he or she does not belong. As Anne Fausto-Sterling says in her essay, “We have begun to insist on the male-female dichotomy at increasingly early stages, making the two-sex system more deeply a part of how we imagine human life and giving it the appearance of being both inborn and natural” (140). In line, children are often times forced to line up “boy, girl, boy, girl,” during recess, children often split up teams using the method “girls verse boys.” If you are a hermaphrodite or transsexual, which team do you pick? Children are not educated on the varieties of sexes and believe there are only two sexes in the world: boy and girl. If we educate children on the variety of sexes, perhaps using Anne Fausto-Sterling’s fixe-sex system, then maybe hermaphrodite and transsexual children would not have to deal with the every day struggle of fitting a gender role in which they do not identify.
Fausto-Sterling, Anne. "Two Sexes are Not Enough." Women's Voices, Feminist Visions Classic and Contemporary Readings. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 140-142. Print.
In American society, it is presented to the public that there are simply two sexes that have specific traits that correlate with them. The concept, “If nature really offers us more than two sexes, then it follows that our current notions of masculinity and femininity are cultural conceits” (140) is just increasingly becoming known. Fausto-Sterling makes a good point about the broad spectrum of sexes bashing any previously constructed natural characterizations. A question that comes to mind is, will teachings in schools start to transition and become more open to all types of people? Will cultural norms ever diminish or will the “perfect and normal” person always dominate society? Finally, will the demands for living up the expectations of being female or male gradually ease, finding equality more and more?
ReplyDeleteFausto-Sterling, Anne. "Two Sexes Are Not Enough." Women's Voices, Feminist Visions. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 140-142. Print.
In Pamela Bettis and Natalie Guice Adams’s article, “Short Skirts and Breast Juts: Cheerleading, Eroticism and Schools”, the two authors explore the contrasting images and personas of cheerleaders within our society. The juxtaposed images of the wholesome and popular athlete vs an erotic and evocative representation of a female, explore tensions inherent to cheerleading as well as femininity. Balancing the sexual with innocent, personal identity with public representation of what being a female should look like, becomes a major struggle for all females- and can even extend to males and masculinity. Although this is a topic we have addressed before, Bettis and Adams’s article touched on the idea that this disturbing dichotomy is reinforced and supported by our schools and educational administrations.
ReplyDeleteAdams, Natalie Guice and Pamela J. Bettis. “Short Skirts and Breast Juts: Cheerleading, Eroticism and Schools.” Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. Janet Lee and Susan Shaw. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 145-154. Print.
While reading Short Skirts and Breast Juts by Pamela J. Bettis and Natalie Guice Adams I was struck by how sexualized cheerleaders have become. I went to a high school that didn’t have cheerleaders so I never experienced school surrounded by short skirted girls. I agreed when the authors referred to cheerleaders as “representatives or ambassadors of their schools, cheerleaders are expected to be role models, and their morals are expected to be beyond reproach” (149). I can see why there would be such an idealized eroticism about young girls in short skirts but I do have a problem with it. But how can this idea be reversed? Is it possible? What is the alternative?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading Virtual Gender by Judy Wajcman. In this passage it reminded the reader how the internet allows both genders to communicate without, “…judgments based on sex, age, race, voice, accent or appearance, but are based only on textual exchanges.”(Wajcman 155) The reading goes on to explain how more people are able to engage in intimate relationships or even friendship over the internet. This really reminded me of the advantages and disadvantages of ‘cyberspace.’ For some, who may be shy they are able to talk to people with ease and share their feelings through their computer. They don’t have to worry about being criticized for how they dress, or whether or not they have perfect skin. At the same time, cyberspace can be dangerous, since you can never be quite sure who you’re really communicating with on the internet. A lot of young girls and in some cases young boys have met up with their “true love,” whom they met via a chartroom, facebook, or MySpace and the result of ‘meeting up,’ can end up extremely dangerous. I’m not really sure how I feel about internet dating, I have heard some stories where they found their ‘soul mate’ on match.com or through another dating site. In the end, I think you have to be extremely careful when meeting strangers online, but I think it’s great that people are able to engage more in relationships.
ReplyDeleteWajcman, Judy. “Virtual Gender.” Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions. 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2009.
Debra Rosenberg’s article “(Rethinking) Gender” makes me think about all of the stigmas and stereotypes that are against transgendered people. I think that these attitudes towards transgenders are a result of society’s strict gender rules. We tell children basically from birth how they are expected to act, either strictly feminine or strictly masculine. We grow up with these expectations and learn to apply those expectations to others. So when we see transgender people bend gender norms, we are of course “weirded out” and ostracize them from society. If we learn to rethink gender as something flexible, everchanging, and diverse, we wouldn’t have a problem with transgendered people not fitting into one of two very simple categories.
ReplyDeleteKate Corbey
Rosenberg, Debra. "Rethinking Gender." Women's Voices, Feminist Visions Classic and Contemporary Readings. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 158-162. Print.
As a former cheerleader of 3 years, I have to disagree with some of the arguments made in Pamela Bettis and Natalie Adams' article, "Short Skirts and Breast Juts: Cheerleading, Eroticism and Schools." They wrote that "cheerleading operates as an activity that symbolizes 'objectified sexuality and promiscuous availability.'" In my experiences, that couldn't be more wrong. We were never asked to "act sexy" nor did any of our routines make us look promiscuous. We were pushed to be athletes rather than an image of "female sexuality."
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that every sport in high school has a particular stigma attached. Some sports are considered "manly" or "butch" just as cheerleading and dance is considered "sexy" and "provocative." Are there any sports or activities that women are involved in that doesn't have some sort of stereotype attached?
Adams, Natalie Guice and Pamela J. Bettis. “Short Skirts and Breast Juts: Cheerleading, Eroticism and Schools.” Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. Janet Lee and Susan Shaw. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 145-154. Print.
Anne Fausto-Sterling's intended purpose in "Two Sexes Are Not Enough" is not lost on me, however her suggestion to change the two-sex system to a five-sex system is, in my opinion, socially improbable. This is not for lack of scientific validity, but because "reconceptualizing the category of "sex" challenges cherished aspects of European and American social organization" (Fausto-Sterling 140). While I think we are quick to point out social flaws regarding sex and gender in other cultures, we are not yet ready to examine our own sex/gender system. I found her article a great starting off point to open up the discussion on intersexed individuals.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I found it quite humorous that John Money contributed a counterargument to Fausto-Sterling. The idea that anyone would take him seriously as a professional after the "John/Joan" case is ludicrous.
Fausto-Sterling, Anne. "Two Sexes are Not Enough." Women's Voices, Feminist Visions Classic and Contemporary Readings. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 140-142. Print.
I just wanted to talk about the part in the section that says "women are particularly vulnerable to the cultural preoccupation with the body" (226). I participate in a JMU organization called Intervarsity, and on Friday nights we gather together for a worship service type thing. Anyway, one week our preacher type person asked us to write down what we want to find in the opposite sex, to date them. The next week we got the results back and the number one thing that women said the wanted to find in men was that they were a Christian and the number four thing was that they were good looking. When we read what the guys wanted in a girl the number one thing was looks (80% of guys had this as #1). Now I see why women are so "vulnerable to the cultural preoccupation with the body." Maybe this has to do with how men and women are made, but if our society tells us a certain way we should look, and men see these images, maybe they expect us to look this way as well. No wonder so many women spend so much time dieting, working out, and just getting frustrated with their appearence, because they are trying to reach men's expectations, when they should be enjoying life.
ReplyDeleteCaitlin Andreotta
ReplyDelete“Hence, cheerleading operates symbolically at the intersection of the all-American good-girl next door who exemplifies peer leadership and the vamp who teases with her short skirt.” (Bettis & Adams, p. 148). I think this quote is exactly right. The main activity for females is cheerleading and they are supposed to be innocent yet promiscuous. It is also aggravating because cheerleading always gets put down for not being a “sport” yet if there were no cheerleaders, football and all the other sports would not be the same without them. The want for women to be innocent and promiscuous is not just limited to cheerleading. I feel like it is something we have to worry about our entire lives. Why do women need to be the girl next door plus a teasing vamp? It doesn’t seem fair to have to be all these different things
Citation:
Bettis, Pamela J. and Adams, Natalie G. “Short Skirts and Breast Juts Cheerleading,
Eroticism and Schools.” Women’s Voices Feminist Vision. Eds. Susan Shaw and Janet Lee. 4th ed. New York:The McGraw-Hill Companies. 2009. 145-153. Print.
I really liked the fact that authors Bettis and Adams discussed cheerleaders and the ideas associated with them. They state that "cheerleading is a vehicle through which girls can try on various sexual facets of what it means to be a woman in contemporary US society and do so with a large audience and without the fear of being labeled a slut or skank" (Bettis and Adams 151). Cheerleading is an intense sport that requires agility and endurance and therefore the sport should be associated with athleticism and not sexuality.
ReplyDeleteLee, Janet, and Susan M. Shaw. Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions. 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2009
-Laura Creel
It really never hit me that gender is something you almost ‘conform’ into as opposed to the “way you are.” In Judith Lorber’s “The Social Construction of Gender” she says, “Gender is so pervasive that in our society we assume it is bred into our genes” (Lorber 142). I am at fault in this idea. I never thought about how gender isn’t bred in our genes; it’s society that causes us to view things a certain way. This quote was a real eye opener into a broader way of viewing life and society in general, especially gender.
ReplyDeleteShaw, Susan, and Janet Lee. Women's voices: Feminist Visions. 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 82. Print. The Social Construction of Gender. Lorber, Judith. (1994).
This is from Annie Blewett
ReplyDeleteIn “Masculinities and Globalization”, R.W. Connell states that “masculine dress is an interesting indicator: almost every political leader in the world now wears the uniform of the western business Executive. (165)” It is interesting how “masculinity” is almost universally preferred and seen as dominant. Women even try to prove their competency by wearing shoulder pads in their suits in order to look more masculine. This may seem like a “fashion statement,” but in little ways women are often trying to assert their worth to men and society.
Source:
Connell, R.W. “Masculinities and Globalization.” Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions, 4th ed., Mc-Graw-Hill, 2009.
This is from Nichole Beatty
ReplyDeleteCommentary
02/08/10
As stated in our textbook “Women’s Voices” by Susan Shaw and Janet Lee;
“Now, as transgender people become more visible and challenge the old boundaries, they’ve given voice to another debate- whether gender comes in just two flavors (Pg 159).”
This quote questions a lot of new terms that have developed in society such as “transgender”, “transsexual” and “transvestite”. Does society only allow you to be either male or female? Can’t a man complete a work day in the office and then fulfill his dreams and dress “drag” at night? I believe that there is much more to gender than just female and male. Biologically there is just two choices, but even that is being tested with hormonal injections and surgeries. As time passes I believe our country and society needs to become more open minded and accept that fact that in the future there will not only be a female and a male gender.
Shaw, Susan, and Janet Lee. Women's Voices. 4th ed. New York: Mcgraw Hill Higher Education, 2009.